You Don't Think Twice Revisited
by Ultimate Warrior
Summary: Summary: A story of Albus Dumbledore's youth told by a man who once knew him well.
1. Chapter One part 1

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Harry Potter, its characters or places. I do own certain characters but not always the names that represent them.

Summary: A story of Albus Dumbledore's youth told by a man who once knew him well.

(Authors Note: This is probably completely historically inaccurate so don't take it too seriously. Besides, all things can be explained away by magic. Also for those of you who have read my original 'You Don't Think Twice' that was more of a draft and this I hope will be much better constructed and written. Also for those of you who have read the first redrafting, that has been removed from the site, this is structured differently but still the same story.)

You Don't Think Twice

(Revisited)

Chapter One - Part One: How to Begin.

How to begin?

I suppose that I am rather privileged to be able to tell this story, in words and writing. I'm even more privileged to be able to remember it at all, considering where I am.

Where am I?

Azkaban of course! Where else would a convicted murderer be?

Whether indeed I am a murderer or not I can't recall. Perhaps I am and cannot remember, or perhaps I am innocent but have been made to believe the stories about me. Either way I am a lost soul waiting only for the end of existence when the Dementors finally decided that I am worthy of their consumption.

So why then, in my existence of mediocrity, have I decided to write down this story? Is it because it gives my life some purpose? No. It is because I feel I should leave something behind when I cease to be? No.

I write this story for the benefit of Augustus Thornilly. He is a small boy from the village, the old warden's son. He loves to hear stories of any kind and when he heard that I knew stories of his hero he came begging for me to tell them to him.

Of course I readily agreed to write them for him, so that I could be moved further away from the Dementors lair. Now in the relatively peaceful outer blocks of the prison I can feel my memories returning slowly.

I am still under constant watch of the guards only now it is the Human guards and only at one time of the day are there Dementors.

Augustus comes back every day to see how much I have written, and sometimes just to keep me company, for which I am eternally grateful.

You might think it's a bad idea to allow a child so close to a prisoner and normally you would be right, however I am a different case. I wouldn't harm a child in any way, not since Wulfric…

Now is not the time to reminisce however now is the time to tell the tales of great heroes and villains, and of a time before their fate was sealed, when Hogwarts first opened its doors to the people who would shapes its future.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/Kings Cross, September 1st 1856\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

To say I was nervous when stepping onto the platform that day would be wrong.

I was terrified.

My father had left me at the station after telling me how to reach Platform 9 3/4 and now I was surrounded by happy and excited children, saying their goodbyes to parents who didn't want to let their children go.

Not only was I terrified but now I was embarrassed beyond belief as I made my way quickly onto the last carriage of the train. I closed the carriage door and heaved a long-suffering sigh.

Of course I understood why my Father couldn't stay until the train left but it didn't make this any easier for me. My first time of being properly away from my family in five years had started out extremely well and was just starting to spiral downwards as the day went on.

The day had started with an early wake up call followed by a large breakfast. Then my father and I arranged my school things and spent the next few hours enjoying each others company. When the time came to leave for the train I was beginning to feel the nerves set in. Father was off to sort out the family business with Gringotts and the other investments that my Grandfather was dealing with before his death three weeks before.

Deciding to find my self a compartment I began pulling my quite heavy trunk up the length of the train to find an empty compartment. I was out of luck. Every compartment I looked in had someone sitting in it or trunks and other personal items in.

Giving up on finding an empty compartment I decided to try and get a seat in the next one I came across. I walked up to the door of the next compartment and peered through. On the other side there was a boy. He was fidgeting in his seat, almost bouncing off of it on more than one occasion.

Plucking up my courage I knocked on the door and slid it open. This was the first proper look I got of this boy. He was scruffy with unkempt shoulder-length auburn hair, sparkling blue eyes and robes thrown on half-heartedly. The pockets seemed to bulge with something which on closer inspection I found to be sweets, lemon drops to be precise.

"Y-you d-don't mind I-if I c-come in d-do you? It's j-just t-that there is n-no w-where else." I said, cursing myself for stuttering so badly.

A brief look of…almost pity spread across the boys face before he smiled a smile so wide that it could have spread from ear to ear. His eyes twinkled again as he answered me. "Not at all! Come in, come in! The more the merrier!"

I smiled half in relief and half in amusement at this boy's sudden change. "Thanks" I said and turned back to my trunk. I dragged it past the door way but the back two wheals got caught on door frame. I had the feeling that the other boy was watching me. How dare he, I thought, how dare he sit and enjoy my suffering. But before I could get angry his voice broke my thoughts.

"Let me help you with that." He said in the same cheerful voice as before and before I knew it he had grabbed the other end of the chest. We lifted it in the room and struggled to lift it in one of the shelves above the seats but finally managed.

"Thanks" I said again, an embarrassed tinge to my cheeks, remembering what I thought about him earlier.

We sat panting in exhaustion for a few moments before he extended his hand to me. "I'm Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. But you can call me Albus." He said.

I stared at his hand for a moment. In one part of my mind I was thinking about accepting this boy's friendship, at least temporarily until we were sorted, in the other half of my mind I was laughing at his name.

At last I took his hand and answered him in a quiet voice so as not to give away my amusement at his name. "Alan Nemo Quartermane; pleased to meet you."

We fell into an uneasy silence until, after a few minutes, Albus began to speak again. "So…are you a first year too?"

"Yep" I answered eager to get out of the uncomfortable silence we were in. "But I've been there before. My Grandfather was the transfigurations teacher for the last ten years."

I saw Albus' eyes light up and that wide grin return. He leaned forwards slightly and I was almost afraid he was going to start bouncing again. "Really? What's it like there? What are the teachers like? How big is it? What animals do they have?"

Before I could answer the door to our compartment flew open and in stepped three boys. In front was a relatively tall, skinny boy with slicked-back black hair and hazel eyes. He wore expensive robes which were black with a hint of emerald in the lining. The two boys behind him were large hulking figures with well made robes slightly stained with some sort of liquid.

I suddenly felt out of place with my old tattered Hogwarts robes. Even Albus had brand new robes. Mine were hand-me-down of my Fathers and Grandfathers when they went to school. Oh my family could afford much more extravagant clothing but I refused. I wore what I found comfortable and that was that.

The tall-skinny boy looked around the compartment before sneering at us. "Who are you!" he demanded before turning to Albus and continuing without an answer. "No don't tell me, auburn hair, scruffy robes and loads of sweets you're a Dumbledore. Where are your parents Dumbledore? I didn't see them on the platform. Too busy to see you off to school or don't they even care?"

Albus smile left him and the twinkle left his eyes. I thought, for all the world that Albus was going to knock this arrogant prats head off but all he did was bow his head slightly and look away.

"Aww" The boy sneered again. "Is da widdle baby gonna cwy?"

The two large boys laughed maliciously with their friend as Albus continued to ignore them. If Albus wasn't going to get angry with them then I certainly would. He was my friend after all…if only for the time being.

"That's enough!" I demanded standing between the two. "You have no right to come in here and say that to my friend!"

He surveyed me for a few minutes. "Tattered robes but no second hand book, red hair or freckles. I was sure you were a Weasley for a moment. But you couldn't be. Weasleys are at least pure-blooded, blood-traitors, but still purebloods. But your no one, you don't even deserve to breath the same air as me you filthy Mudblo"

One moment he was standing tall and arrogant before me the next he was sprawled out in the corridor with a dazed, almost shocked look on his face and a hand on his cheek. I couldn't take it anymore; the arrogant prat just wouldn't shut up. I didn't even realise that I had punched him until he hit the floor.

The two hulking boys stepped in between us but the boy called them off. He sneered at me "You've made a big mistake Mudblood." And with that he turned and stalked away from our compartment.

I slid the door closed as I returned to the compartment. Albus was still looking out of the window, his back still turned away from me. I walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

He turned his head to look at me. I stared at him, studying his face for a moment. "Are you alright?" I asked him.

He nodded but refused to meet my eyes. I returned to my seat and once again we fell into the uncomfortable silence we had before. I didn't know it at the time but this was the first glimpse of the strange life of Albus Dumbledore that would haunt me for the next five years.

As the silence went on I began to return to my nervous state. I realised that I would have to break this silence if I were to keep myself from being a nervous wreck by the time we reached school.

So turning to Albus I opened my mouth to say something, anything really, when the train suddenly gave a great lurch and I, not expecting it, flew off of my seat and crashed into the seat opposite.

Needless to say it hurt.

I pulled myself up off the floor and glared at the seat that I had flown into. I stood up and stupidly lashed out at the thing with my foot, nearly breaking my toes in the process. I quickly withdrew my aching foot and clutched it in my hand, hopping on one foot. I then slipped on a discarded sweet wrapper and fell onto the floor again.

I was quickly loosing my temper but something broke my anger. Laughing. I turned my head and saw Albus clutching his sides in mirth at my expense. I didn't care, not this time. It may have hurt but he was once again the cheerful boy he had been before. So I picked my self up off of the floor and returned to my seat.

The train traveled through wide countryside's, past rivers and seas. As midday drew closer Albus began to get more and more excited. I had no idea why and was just about to ask him when a knock came at the door.

We looked up from our game of exploding snap to see an old woman standing outside our door. She had with her a trolley full of sweets of all kinds, both muggle and wizard.

Before she could even open her mouth Albus was up at the trolley and was picking out all the sweets he could carry. I watched him in fascination as he made three trips to and from the trolley collecting more and more as he went. Eventually he handed over a bag of coins for the sweets and went back to his horde.

I on the other hand made do with a small handful of chocolate frogs.

When I returned to my seat I found Albus in the midst of building some sort of fort with the masses of sweets he had collected. I realized then why he had been excited about the sweet trolley. As far as I could tell, Albus Dumbledore had a very sweet tooth.

I opened my first Chocolate frog and began to eat it, all the while watching Albus work. I wondered what significance the building of the sweet fort had to him. I had never known any before or since to build things from sweets.

By the time my first frog was gone Albus was picking at his fort. I was about to throw the chocolate frog wrapper away when something caught my eye. I pulled it out of the wrapper only to discover that it was a card.

I looked at it for a moment and after a while an old man appeared from the right of the open frame. The man was totally bald except for a horse-shoe of hair around his head that fell into long cascading locks. He had a long bead that hung freely from his wrinkled face. He sat in a chair and peered at me with his deep green eyes over his moon-shaped spectacles, his green robes almost blending into the chair. Next to him was a cauldron that bubbled and smoked until he turned and placed something inside it. The cauldron exploded and dazzling colors that sparkled and popped exploded in the screen. Once they died down the man was gone.

I knew who he was. Archibald Tinnean. The question was why was he on a card in the chocolate frog packets.

"That's a collectable." Albus voice said just to my right. "Their new. The chocolate frog makers have only just released them. Apparently they had to wait until one wizard had time free before they could release it because he was one of the first cards. Who is it?"

"Archibald Tinnean." I answered without hesitation. Albus shrugged and returned to his fort while I studied my card for a few more minutes.

It was not long after that I had finished my frogs and was content to watch Albus play a sort of chance game with his sweets. He would pull a sweet out of the wall and if he managed to do that without the wall falling over he would eat the sweet and begin again. Several times he had failed and all he would do was laugh and rebuild the wall.

Getting tired of the silence I tried to restart a conversation. "So…did you bring a pet or something with you?" I asked.

He looked up from his recently toppled wall of sweets and gave me a blank stare. He then shook his head and stood up. He reached onto the shelf above his seat and brought down a small basin. In side the basin sat a small ugly, featherless bird.

"What is it?" I asked him. I had no idea what it was; I had never seen anything like that bird before.

"He isn't an it." Albus told me quite pompously, puffing out his chest. "Fawkes is a Phoenix. He's just gone through a regeneration so he isn't at his best but he's beautiful normally. I…er…my father got him for me."

"Wow. I've never seen a Phoenix before. You're very lucky to have him." And I said that in total honesty. I hadn't seen Phoenixes before and who ever has a Phoenix is very lucky to have such a loyal and magnificent animal.

"I know. Father wanted me to get an owl but I insisted on Fawkes. He looked so sad and lonely in the shop, and I don't like seeing anyone sad." He told me, his hand absentmindedly stroking the Phoenix.

I sensed something off about him at that time but who was I to argue with him, I had only known him for a few hours. I smiled and shook my head. "You are very weird my friend."

"What about you?" He asked as he returned Fawkes to his hiding place ion the shelf. "Did you bring anything?"

I turned to my luggage and took a bag out of a side compartment of my trunk. And from a tightly wrapped box I pulled an egg out. I was a plain white egg, no different from any owl's egg. But it wasn't an owl.

I wasn't going to tell Albus that though. If he kept secrets from me I saw no reason why I shouldn't keep secrets from him.

"Sort of." I answered him as I showed him the egg. "I found him in the owl section. The owner said that he was old enough to hatch but didn't want to, so I'm going to keep him and when he hatches he will be my pet."

He opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted when the compartment door slid open. In the doorway now stood a girl, older than us because she was a prefect. She wasn't overly beautiful or overly ugly but she had a sort of simple beauty about her. Her light brown hair fell softly down past her shoulders and fluttered over her shining prefect's badge.

"You're first years aren't you?" she asked and we both nodded in agreement. "Oh good. Well whatever you're doing I suggest you pack it up and get ready. Were almost there."

We thanked her and began to pack our things away. I had almost put my egg in its place in my trunk when the prefects head popped back in the doorframe.

"Oh! And I was supposed to tell you that you are to go straight to Tom Tunney and not dilly dally. By the way those were Frankie's words not mine, he's head boy you know, also a Hufflepuff. You'll know who Tom is; he'll be holding a large lamp and calling for first years. Good luck boys, and have fun." And with that she disappeared again.

"She seemed…nice." I said with a raised eyebrow. Albus nodded absentmindedly and we returned to sorting out our items from what we would take with us to what we would leave behind for the house-elves.

The train came to a screeching stop at a small run-down platform. Albus and I were suddenly swept off into the rush off students that hurried to get off of the train. I swear to the Gods that I bruised a rib just getting out of the train compartment.

Getting off the train was even harder. I was pushed, pulled, barged and trampled on until, in a rush of cloaks, I was alone on the platform.

A voice with a strong accent came harshly through the air. I couldn't decide if it was a cockney accent or a Yorkshire accent so I decided it was somewhere in between.

"First years ta me!" It called out. "Come on we aven't got all night! First years come ere!"

As I peered through the mass of students rushing towards the castle I saw a lantern hanging high above the students. Tom Tunney, I decided eventually.

Normally my Grandfather would come to pick up the first years, being that he had an unending patience for children and was an exceedingly kind, if not eccentric, man. Though why they would have Tom Tunney come to get the first years was beyond my comprehension. He hated children.

With a last sigh I plunged into the throng and headed towards the light, Tom Tunney and my first year at Hogwarts…

-End Chapter One - Part One


	2. Chapter One part 2

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Harry Potter, its characters or places. I do own certain characters but not always the names that represent them.

Summary: A story of Albus Dumbledore's youth told by a man who once knew him well.

You Don't Think Twice

(Revisited)

Chapter One – Part Two

_With a last sigh I plunged into the throng and headed towards the light, Tom Tunney and my first year at Hogwarts..._

I remember Tom Tunney as a strange man, but then I was never close to him.

I used to visit Hogwarts three times a year to be with my Grandfather on the holidays, he would come home for summer.

Tom always dogged my every move and made sure to prowl the halls at night, just in case he could find a misbehaving student. He loved to torture the troublemakers. He would hang them from their toes for hours or make them clean the floor of the great hall with a toothbrush and deliberately sabotage their work.

Tom was a strange man even to look at.

He wore old, yellow robes that were tattered and torn and stained with blood and alcohol. He walked with an obvious limp and twitched so violently that his whole head would twitch with him. He wore a wig upon his head that looked as though he had just picked up a dead cat. He had only one good eye and a gaping hole in the right socket which he would poke and scratch when he was nervous. He would squint with his good eye, scrutinising all around him. His back was hunched which forced his walk into a stooping limp. On his left cheek was a large pulsing wart which glared an angry red. His was missing over half his teeth and the ones that he had left were yellow and black

In short I was terrified of him.

I wasn't the only one; every first year was terrified of him and he made sure that they had just cause to be.

"Back again I see brat!" he spat when he saw me coming through the crowds and his head gave an almighty twitch.

I nodded silently, almost cowering in fear. You'd think, having seen him for the majority of my youth, I would be somewhat used to him by then. How wrong you would be.

"Well come on then! We 'aven't got all night! We've got ta get back ta the castle in time for the feast. Don' want yer little brats ta go 'ungry now would we?" the crooked, toothless smile on his face told me that he would prefer if we were starved.

Needless to say I didn't hang around long as he pushed me towards the boats.

I had done this trip a few times before with my Grandfather when I was younger so I knew where to go. It just felt weird without him walking beside me.

I was just about on the deck where the boats were docked when I heard a voice I knew behind me. I turned to see Tom Tunney halt in his steps and turn towards the boy that had insulted Albus on the train.

"You there!" The boy called. "Squib! Give me a hand with these bags! Well! What are you waiting for! Don't you know not to leave your betters waiting?!"

I cringed. Obviously this boy's parents had neglected to tell him about Tom Tunney. A poor old man he may be but a squib he was not.

With speed you would never expect from a man like Tom he whipped out his wand and had the boy flying upside down in the air before you could blink.

Tom walked with his crooked steps up to the floating boy and glared at him with his one good eye. The full horror of Tom Tunney was never experienced until he was standing next to you. His face was likened to a gargoyle; with his long crooked nose, black and yellow teeth and warted cheek. But the smell of Tom was unbearable. It was like he had been rolling around in a pigsty and carried around hundreds of maggots in his pockets.

"Yer listen ta me boy an' yer listen good! I aint no squib an' I aint no servant neither! If yer wants ta have yer bags with yer then yer shouda left them on the train! The 'ouse-elfs'll be back at the castle now so yer lost yer chance. Yer either carry 'em or yer loose 'em. Understand!" Toms head gave another of those almighty twitches and the boy nodded his head extremely quickly. "Good. Now get yer things and get on the boat"

I ran onto the deck before Tom could spot me and stood for a moment, dumbfounded. I looked for a boat to sit in but, as before on the train, there were no free seats. Those two large, oafish boys from the train were scaring off all first years from coming to their boat as they waited for their friend to arrive. The other first years had gathered into temporary groups to save their seats.

Suddenly a voice called out to me. "Alan!" it called out. "Over here!"

I looked to where the voice had come from and there was Albus, sitting in a boat and waving me over. Not willing to look a gift horse in the mouth, I ran over to the boat he was sitting in and muttered a quick "Thanks" vaguely aware that I was thanking him for a lot of things today.

As I sat down in the boat I took notice of the third and fourth students on the boat. One was a short stubby looking boy with wispy blond hair, beady blue eyes and what appeared to be a toad in his hands. The other was a girl. She had shoulder length hair which fell in ginger locks. Her eyes were a dull grey and she sat looking away from us, out towards the lake.

"Hi." The boy squeaked before coughing and trying again. "Hi. I'm Stephan. Stephan Pettigrew." He moved the toad into one hand and extended the other.

I stared at him for a moment. I didn't really know what to think of Stephan. Admittedly I didn't really like him but I couldn't dismiss him for a gut feeling. As I hesitated he began to visibly lose confidence. I wasn't going to shake his hand but a discrete elbow from Albus made me change my mind.

"Alan Quartermane." I answered briskly as I gave him a short handshake.

Albus gave the boy a small smile over my shoulder and Stephan smiled shyly back. A movement of the boat reminded me of the girl who was with us. I stared at her for a moment too long, which Albus noticed.

He gave Stephan a pointed look and the boy looked over his shoulder. "Oh her!" He said as if only just remembering she existed. "She my cousin once removed on my mother's side. She's always like this."

The girls sent a glare back at her cousin which he promptly ignored and turned back to Albus and me. "So...what house do you think you'll be in?" he asked.

Albus stopped and looked at me before turning his attention back to Stephan. "I don't know, never though about it really. I think I'd like to be in Gryffindor. What about you?"

Stephan blushed and looked down at his feet. "I'll probably be in Hufflepuff." He muttered

Albus regarded the boy with a confused looked before shrugging. "I don't know. It was pretty brave of you to ask almost complete strangers any question at all. You might be in Gryffindor."

"You think so?" Stephan asked, lighting up at the mere prospect of it.

"Sure. Why not?" Albus said noncommittally. He turned his gaze to me. "What about you Alan?"

"I don't know." I answered. "Gryffindor or Ravenclaw I suppose."

"Not interested in Slytherin at all?" He asked lightly a humorous glint in his eye.

A smile tugged at my lips. "I rather not put up with the arrogance of pureblooded show-offs everyday." I answered him in the same light tone.

The girl humphed, bringing all of our attentions to her. She turned towards us and regarded each of us with a glare. "Would you just shut up already! I get enough nonsensical rambling at home without having to deal with it here as well!" with a last humph she turned away and glared out into the water again.

I regarded the girl with a slight smile on my lips, she had spirit, I'd give her that. Albus merely looked amused with the girl but Stephan looked incensed. He turned to glare at his cousin, red faced in anger, and opened his mouth to start a long argument with her when the crooked steps of Tom Tunney cut him off. He gave a rodent-like squeak before falling down into his seat.

The large boys' strategy failed them now because the only room left on any boat was theirs. Tom limped over to their boat and got in. One of the large boys fell out in surprise when he realized who was sitting behind him.

After everyone was seated in the boats we began our short trip to the castle. It was a normal trip to say the least. The first years talked, made friends, one person fell into the water and of course there was the usual gasp as Hogwarts castle came into view. Hogwarts always awed me. No matter how many times I saw it. The castle seemed to grow as more students came to it.

In truth it wasn't the castle that over awed me but the aurora it gave off. The magic that radiated from the castle was one of the strongest that I have ever felt and it grew with every witch or wizards that passed into its domain. That is why I was awed by the castle. Of course I didn't know that then.

However the feeling soon passed as the dock that lead up to the castle came in site. The boats docked and we scrambled out onto the land. Once again the nerves returned to me. Questions I had asked myself many times before today returned to my head.

What if I don't fit into any house? What if they made a mistake and I wasn't even supposed to be here? The irrational fears of a child, things that adults would laugh at, but as children we hold those fears higher than we hold such things as honor, logic, duty and loyalty.

A tug on my arm pulled me out of my thoughts. "Come on or they'll leave without us." Albus said as he all but dragged me after the rabble of eleven year olds. Stephan snickered at this ridicules spectacle as he followed us like a lost puppy.

Albus and I were about the same size and I could have thrown him off if I wanted to, so why didn't I?

I was getting too fond of Albus. What would happen if I were to be sorted into Slytherin and he was sorted into Gryfindor? Would he turn on me? Make me into his enemy despite our short blossoming friendship.

I somehow knew that Albus wouldn't try to do that at first, should we be sorted like that, but the pressure of your housemates can change you. My grandfather told me stories of that happening to many people while he had been a teacher here.

Soon we were stood outside the large wooden doors that lead into Hogwarts castle. Tom Tunney stood at the front of the group and raised him self up to his tallest height. He scratched the hole where his eye should be before giving three loud raps on the doors…

End Chapter One- Part Two


	3. Chapter One part 3

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Harry Potter, its characters or places. I do own certain characters but not always the names that represent them.

Summary: A story of Albus Dumbledore's youth told by a man who once knew him well.

You Don't Think Twice

(Revisited)

Chapter One - Part Three

_Soon we were stood outside the large wooden doors that lead into Hogwarts castle. Tom Tunney stood at the front of the group and raised him self up to his tallest height. He scratched the hole where his eye should be before giving three loud raps on the doors..._

We stood in a nervous silence, unaware of what we were waiting for. A faint tapping sound could be heard from beyond the door. The sound got louder and louder until it was almost on top of us. Then suddenly the tapping stopped.

The large doors were flung open to reveal a tall thin woman. Looking back I can tell you that she was a remarkably beautiful woman. She must have had some Veela blood in her. Her light blonde hair hung down to her shoulders in loose locks, her startling blue eyes stared in a bored fashion at us. She wore plain black robes and around her neck hung a necklace with a crucifix. She stood with her arms crossed in the middle of the doorway.

Stephan stared, doe-eyed at her. He fell in love with her the moment he saw her. Most of the boys did. I don't know why Albus and I were not affected, perhaps it was because of our childhood, or perhaps we just had stronger minds than the rest of our year mates. Whatever it was it helped a great deal in the weeks to come.

"Professor Solomon." Tom greeted neutrally. "The first years."

I stared at Tom in astonishment. Neutrality from Tom Tunney meant almost as much as him declaring his love in public. 'He must really like this Solomon' I thought to myself.

Solomon nodded in acceptance. "Thank you Tom. You are excused."

When she spoke her voice was soft, almost a whisper. The voice added to her thin body gave her the impression of a weak and dependant woman. Her whole presence seemed to project the need to be helped and trusted.

Solomon turned her sharp blue eyes over the first years, going right to left and the back again. After a pregnant pause she smiled a satisfied smile. She sighed "Alright then. Follow me children. We're already running late for the feast."

And with that she turned a walked into the corridors. The first year boys scrambled after her, staring at her with something akin to adoration, whilst Albus and I dawdled behind with the female half of the first years. Solomon led us down a long empty corridor until we came to the large door that I knew led to the great hall. She took us past them and into a side door where we were to wait for the sorting.

I blanked her out as she explained what would happen when we entered the hall. I already knew from my time here with my grandfather. Instead I spent the time thinking and worrying about my own sorting.

I nervously patted down my somewhat spiky hair that I inherited from my father's side of the family. It became a nervous habit of mine when I was younger to try and flatten my hair when I was uncomfortable.

I wondered, at that moment, what house my Grandfather would want me to be sorted into. My father would prefer me to be in Gryffindor but as for my Grandfather…I don't think he would care. Admittedly they both would prefer me not to be in Slytherin, but then I was never ambitious enough to be in that house. Grandfather would probably have preferred me in Gryffindor, being its head of house when he was at Hogwarts, but he would have settled for Ravenclaw.

At the time however I would have been happy to have been sorted into any house…within moderation. Slytherin for me was no mans land. It was the one house I didn't want to be sorted into.

I glanced around the room at my fellow first years. Each of them were shuffling around in nervous manners and trying to get themselves presentable. Albus, I noticed, was the only student not appearing worried.

He leant back against the wall next to me a popped a lemon drop into his mouth. "I don't know why everyone's getting so worked up. It's only a formality. If we weren't mean to be here then we wouldn't have gotten our letters." He said to me.

I remember wondering how he could be so calm. Alright so it was only a formality and I had gotten myself worked up over almost nothing but the sorting can make, break or strengthen friendships. That was what I was really nervous about, losing Albus' friendship. It was startling to think that in such a short time I had already come to think so much of the strange boy's friendship but I did and I feared to lose it over something so trivial as Hogwarts Houses.

As I opened my mouth to respond a strange feeling came over me. I suddenly felt a cold shiver run through my body and my vision was blurred as though I was looking through water. The reason became clear to me only a second later as, with shouts, screams and cheers, the headless hunt shot through the room on its way to the Great Hall. The ghosts flew around the small side room cheers and laughing to each other, throwing their heads around like balls before running off into the Hall.

I stared after them in a stupor. A noise alerted me to the fact that I was still in others company, so I shook my head briefly to 'clear the cobwebs' and turned to my right side. And there was Albus laughing his head off, figuratively speaking of course.

I stared for a few moments more, deciding on a course of action. It seemed that he wasn't going to stop any time soon as he had just fallen onto the floor and was rolling around in mirth. A wicked grin found its way to my face as an idea came to mind. I picked up a vase from the table on my other side, full of water and flowers, and turned back to Albus.

I waited for a few moments more before dumping the contents of the vase on my laughing friend. He shot up with a high-pitched shriek as the cold water covered him. His eyes were wide in shock and his face reminded me very much of a goldfish. Confronted with this I just had to laugh.

He stood up and gave me a half-hearted glare and opened his mouth only to be silenced by Solomon. "Everyone set? Good, now come on." Professor Solomon said and turned to lead us into the great hall.

The first thing that I noticed when entering the Great Hall was the silence. Always the students of every house would be silent for the sorting. I was very respectful but it didn't help my nerves one bit. Add to that all of the eyes that follow you're every step. I ignored the amazed gasps of my fellow first-years as they saw the size of the Hall and the enchanted ceiling. I kept my mind focused on the sorting.

We reached the front of the great hall and Solomon told us to remain where we were. She ran through the rituals that my Grandfather used to have to do, telling the school what was going to happen the pulling out the stool that the first-years sit on and the Sorting Hat itself.

Unfortunately the Hats song is lost to me. My memories have been returning slowly and that particular part of this tale is lost to me forever, just one of the side effects of life in Azkaban.

The first person to be sorted was Alison Abbot, one of the large Abbot family, well thought of but not very influential. The majority of the sorting I can't remember as my attention was on my own insecurities.

Albus somehow sensed my fears and attempted to calm me by giving predictions on who would be sorted where by the way the approached the stool. He was pretty good at it from what I recall. He had gotten every student right up to his own sorting.

Alison Abbot was sorted into Hufflepuff, followed by Barnibus Bramble who became a Ravenclaw, The first of the large offish boys; Jonathon Crabbe was sort into Slytherin while David Christopher, a muggle born, was sorted into Hufflepuff.

"Dumbledore, Albus" Solomon called out.

"Good luck" I said to him as he walked to the front. I watched in anticipation as the hat was placed upon his head. The hat rolled and twitched, sometimes grumbling and in answer Albus shuffled in his seat and twitched his head from time to time. After what seemed like an eternity the hat finally call out the name of a House. "Gryffindor!"

Cheers rang out around the Gryffindor table and I clapped along with them. It was at this point that I became aware of Stephan standing beside me mumbling questions to me. "What do you think the hat does to you? Does it ask you questions or does it just sort you without asking anything? What if it doesn't like me? What if it sorts me into Slytherin? I couldn't survive in Slytherin! They'd eat me alive!"

I chuckled silently to myself. So I had been a nervous wreck but I was nothing compared to him. Stephan had some serious confidence issues. The sorting continued and my name fast approached. The second large offish boy was sorted, a mister Francis Goyle, again into Slytherin. Should make their friend very pleased, I thought.

Stephan Pettigrew was sorted into Gryffindor, he took quite a while to find the right house and, if Albus is to be believed, then he almost ended up in Hufflepuff. Stephan's cousin, Victoria Prewitt was sorted the moment the hat touched her head. "Gryffindor!" It screamed. She gave a huff before walking over to the Gryffindor table and sitting down at the only empty space

"Quartermane, Alan" My name, finally. I walked away from the group, eager to get the Sorting over and done with. Unfortunately I was so wrapped up in what the sorting hat might say that I forgot the step before the podium. My foot caught the step and I went diving forward into the raised platform.

I was not clumsy, far from it. You may not believe me from my showing that day but that is what nerves do to my attention and sense of balance. A ripple of laughter ran around the Great Hall as I picked myself up and sat on the stool. I was suddenly blinded when the hat came down, past my eyes, nose and covered the whole of my head.

"Ah! A Quartermane! I haven't sorted one of you for…oh at least one hundred years. And such a great talent was the last one. Dear old Angus Quartermane, he used to come visit me you know, just to talk." It whispered into my ear

"Um…with all due respect sir, could we please just get this sorting over and done with." I mumbled back, it felt strange talking to a hat about my recently deceased Grandfather.

"Yes, yes, I'm getting to it my boy. I am an old hat you know. I have been doing this job since the school was founded. Don't I deserve a little respect? Huh? Honestly kids these days have no respect for their elders. Always in a rush to go here and there, you never take time out just to enjoy the scenery, smell the flowers, go for a swim. No you all want what ever you can get as fast as you can get it. I'll have you know that I have sorted countless generations of witches and wizards, and that includes a good number of Quartermanes too, I deserve a little respect and courtesy from you kids."

I was quite afraid that the hats rant was being cast across the hall so I took action as quickly as I could. "Please sir. I didn't mean to offend you I just don't really want to be up here long. I…uh…get stage fright."

"Understandable I suppose…now lets see what we have here. Intelligence, good, good. Loyalty as well, some cunning and a decent amount of courage but where to put you…hmm…your even tougher than Angus was. Did I tell you about him coming to speak with me? Never asked him too just did it on his own, one of the nicest wizards I ever sorted. A kind and gentle man. Why I remember…"

"Please sir, can you just sort me now? Please?" I begged. I wasn't below begging if I had too. I had a feeling that this was taking too long.

The hat chuckled at me. "Alright, alright. I won't bore you with anymore of my stories about your grandfather…hmm? What this? Ah…interesting…well that's it then. No where else you can go. No other house would suit you more, than noble courageous GRYFFINDOR!"

I breathed a sigh of relief as the hat was removed from my head. I all but ran over to the Gryffindor table and sat next to Albus. I was well aware of the strange looks I was getting from most of the other students. Albus turned to me and patted me on the back. "Almost didn't make it did ya?" he asked with a smile on his lips.

I shook my head and smiled back. To this day I still don't understand how he did it. Perhaps he was just more in tune with the castles magic than the rest of us, but what ever it was Albus never got one single prediction of a sorting wrong.

The rest of the sorting went rather quickly. It seemed that the Sorting hat had grown tired from our chat. The last one to be sorted was the boy who insulted Albus and me on the train. It turned out that his name was Jose Jorge Vincente. A very powerful family were the Vincentes. Unsurprisingly he was sorted into Slytherin with his two friends.

The Headmaster, Phineas Nigellus, was missing from the ceremonies. Instead an elderly man who sat next to the headmasters chair up and walked forward to a podium and cleared his throat. "I suppose I should first explain our dear Headmasters absence. Professor Nigellus has been called away to a board of governors meeting to discuss the school in general. And so I have been asked to fill in for him.

"I suppose now you first years are wondering who I am. My name is Professor Archibald Tinnean. And may I be the first to say to those of you who are returning this year, Welcome Back, and to those of you joining us anew, welcome, to another year at Hogwarts.

"Now before we tuck in to a most excellent feast, prepared by our most gracious of cooks, I have a few announcements to make. Firstly the forest around the grounds, aptly named the Forbidden Forest, is of limits to everyone excluding our groundskeeper and caretaker, Mr Tom Tunney. Secondly Mr Tunney has kindly asked me to remind all students that magic in the corridor is prohibited and anyone caught in the corridors at night will be turned over to the punishment of Mr Tunney. And finally, due to the recent passing of our dear beloved Transfiguration Teacher, Professor Angus Quartermane, we have appointed Professor Solomon as a replacement for him. With that said, let us tuck in." he returned to his seat and food swept across the tables for the students to take when they wished.

The rest of the night went like a blur. I ate till I was full to bursting and drank more than my fill. Soon the meal was over and we were escorted away from the great hall to our houses. Gryffindor house, by far, had the most welcoming common room I had ever seen, with its roaring fire, bright and warm colors and large soft sofas. I felt at home the instant I stepped into the room.

I didn't have long to marvel at the common room however as I was herded with the other first years up into our dorms. Before long the rest of my dorm mates were asleep as I lay awake staring out of the dorm window. I remember quite clearly how content I was in that moment. I was surrounded by friends or people I could get on with at the least, I had had a very good meal and now I was laying on one of the softest beds I ever had staring out at the perfect night sky.

I thought 'I'm gonna like it here'

And for a while I was right.

-End Chapter One- Part Three


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